Small stories untold
by Ink-me
Summary: 'The Journey' is a long and sweet Zuko/OC fic, and these are little moment between Kai and Zuko that I couldn't fit in the story. Four short nighttime tales: One on the ship, one in the palace, the two last are after Kai has returned to the world of ATLA.
1. Pai Sho

**Pai Sho**

We had crossed further south, on our merry way to the pole, but the coast of some windblown islands was giving us grief. The shoreline was full of uneasy and vile ocean currents, all the while being littered with treacherous stony banks. It threw our course, and our ship in general, way out of whack. The waves kept slapping us _list_ , and that's boat-speak for the ship tilting in a nerve-racking angle ninety percent of the time at sea. It was seriously killing off the otherwise quite sea-sturdy crew. Three of our guards were down in the cabins too sick to move, though the list was way more intense and nauseating below. Not to mention _I_ had never been at sea for more than an hour before I came to this universe so I was one step away from loosing my goddamn mind.

I kept to the deck but on the fourth day of swaying like I was drunker than a sailor on leave, I decided to confront our dear captain.

"ZUKO! YOU HAVE TO STIR TO PORT! NOW!" I'd kicked the door in to the bridge, and stumbled to gain my footing again because of the pestering waves.

Zuko was holding on to the steering wheel and he'd jumped a little at my entry. When he glared over his shoulder I was the one to flinch. He was white as paper. Zuko didn't say anything, I figured he didn't dare speak because he was as ill as the rest of us, but his eyes could've struck lightning.

"Oh." The ship tipped again and I fell into the doorframe. I gazed out of the window on the bridge and I could see how the waves clashed against each other further out, suggesting there might be a rocky reef under them. It probably wasn't that easy to navigate in the first place, but my patience and understanding had gone over-board together with my breakfast a long time ago.

"Moor the ship as soon as possible or I'll jump off and swim to shore!"

Zuko turned stiffly back to his steering but I heard him say something vicious under his breath.

Iroh was sitting on the terrace under the straw roof of the local inn. We had rented the entire upper floor for our men and ourselves as the ship kept rocking even at port. I was lying with a cold cloth over my eyes and wished for the ground to stop swimming about.

"Kai, would you like me to teach you Pai Sho?" Iroh asked and I had to take a moment before sitting up. The summer night was light blue and cloudless, and even though we were closer to the North Pole that we'd ever been, the wind bore no promise of cold.

"No offence, but sitting still and contemplate tactics right now is not something my brain can do. I'm telling you, being swished around in a metal box for half a week has turned it to jelly." I hung my head. It felt like I was sitting on a raft.

"Hah! _Contemplate_ _tactics_. Right." Zuko sneered weakly from where he lay on a bamboo sofa.

"You wanna fight?" I barked at him. The threat was mostly empty, as I doubted my legs would even stand right now.

"Are you challenging me?" He turned his head a fraction and glared.

"Fighting your friend is as destructive as fighting yourself. You two should let the pleasant breeze ease your minds and temper." Iroh cooed and sipped his tea.

"He's the one with the temper." I snorted.

"She is the one being disrespectful to the future firelord!" Zuko heaved himself up like gravity was stronger over on the sofa.

Iroh just sighed at our childish bickering.

"I'm serious, I could take you right now _future firelord_!" I stood, wobbled and lid a flame in my fist. Zuko got up and grabbed the couches back for support before spitting a flame out through his teeth.

"I'll take my tea to bed. Please try not to burn all the furniture, our funds are low enough as it is." Iroh shook his head and vacated the perimeter in a leisurely stroll.

"You should mind your insolent tongue!" Zuko hissed once we were alone.

"And you should try to enlighten that chauvinistic mind of yours!"

"I wasn't doubting that _all women_ could conceive strategic thinking, just you." He smirked mockingly.

My eyes went round by the insult and I dropped my jaw.

"You- you-! _Mean boy_!" I huffed and jabbed a finger in the air at him, too infuriated to think of a good comeback.

" _Ow._ See _that_ hurt my feelings." Zuko rolled his eyes wickedly.

"You are such a spoiled little brat!" I shouted and my flame flared for a moment before going out.

"Spoiled?" He glared. "Oh really? Which of this lavishness and splendor says spoiled to you?" An angry hand gestured the bamboo terrace. "Or maybe your are referring to my palace? Which I'm not allowed in?! Or my father's extravagant showers of affection? Yes, I agree, I have been spoiled for the world!" He spoke viciously with bitterness dripping from every word.

There was a silence. The moon-rays lid everything in its pale blue light.

"Oh shut up. Poor Zuko!" I wrung. "It get's a little tedious to hear you feeling sorry for yourself all the time! At least you have Iroh!" This fight's topic was morphing into something else entirely.

"I am _not_ feeling sorry for myself." It was his turn to stumble for a decent retaliation. "If anyone's wallowing in their own misery it's you! Always crying and shouting how unfair life is! _That's_ tedious!"

"I should kick you butt. Kick some of that annoying _Zuko-ness_ right out of you!" My cheeks burned.

"You can try." He shrugged before readying a stance, swaying a little on his feet.

Blew my bangs out of my eyes and took my own stance and held the orange flames in between my fingers. The room still swayed but I tried to make no notion of it.

Then we came after each other at once. In an anti-climatic set of motions we both fell over. I tripped over my own ankles and Zuko lost his balance on a kick. The sound of us falling on our butts was too loud for the slumbering night.

The undertone of the ocean stood on the terrace.

An ugly giggle escaped me before I could catch it. It wouldn't be silenced and only grew in volume. I slapped my hands over my mouth and blurted out the laughter like a sneeze.

Zuko bowed his head and breathed a chuckle.

I looked at him in surprise.

"I didn't know you could laugh?" I said sarcastically in between the ripples of compulsive snicker.

"I laugh." Zuko said amusement hanging on to a corner of his lips. "I just only do it if there's something really funny… Like the time you spilled ink all over you." His amber eyes flashed.

"That was a unkind laugh! _Those_ don't count." I shook my head in a smile and rubbed my lower back where I'd fallen.

The last of my happiness slowly ebbed out of me as I watched the wave's white peeks.

I sighed. Zuko leaned against the couch.

The fight seemed to have run its course and I was feeling the burden of sadness weighing on my heart. Zuko had Iroh, and I _had no one_. _Poor Kai really_. And he was right. I did cry and wallow a lot.

"I don't think you're spoiled. Sorry I said that." I pouted after a moment's consideration. That statement had been untrue and hurtful. There was nothing spoiled about Zuko's situation. "I still think you are really full of yourself though." I scotched over to floor-cushion opposite him on the other side of the Pai Sho table, and got comfortable.

He snorted but softened a little.

"I don't think you're stupid." He muttered I glanced over at him and lifted my brow. "Just ditsy." He added in a smirk.

"Hey. I'm taking the high road here. Don't make me regret it." I narrowed my eyes.

"And why is that? Why are you being _nice_?" Zuko asked and slumped a little as we were both still quite ill.

"I'm always nice. And I'm a year older than you so it's understood that I should be the bigger person." My eyes closed for a minute.

"You're older than me?" Zuko frowned in disbelief.

"Yeah." I lifted a brow at him and glanced up. He looked different in the light. A warm lamp burned in a window facing the terrace and the moon was almost full.

"I wouldn't have guessed. When's your birthday?"

I was a little stumped.

"I don't have one here… I never considered that… Huh. When's yours?"

"It's the national past summer solstice in the firenation. The 86th of summer."

"Ehm. What?" I leaned in over the table and grinned.

"What ' _what'_?" He asked irritated.

"What kind of wacky calendar is that! The 86th? How many days does your month have man!"

"Month? I don't know what that is. Each season has 90 days." He leaned in too. "What do you have?"

"Like, approximately every 30 days is a month and there's 12 months in a year, pretty simple really, it just follows the moon." I shrugged.

"12! How do remember them all?" Zuko asked astounded.

"Good question… Heh, but I guess the same way you probably have memorized every member of the royal firenation bloodline, right?"

Zuko smirked and breathed a laugh.

A light was blown out behind a curtain in the window, and suddenly it seemed a lot more intimate sitting in the dark together. Zuko and I caught each other's eyes, but glanced away.

"So…" I smiled a little crookedly. "I should…" I gestured a thumb over my shoulder.

"You don't want to prove me wrong? Did you hit your head in that fall?" Zuko suggested a little sharply.

"Eh?" I drew my brows.

"Pai Sho?" Zuko gestured the gritted surface between us. The checkered table had a drawer with the tiles that Zuko pulled out. The many small pieces 'clacked' on the table and I had to blink at the shear amount.

"But I don't know the rules." I rested my chin in my palm while he set the game.

"I'll show you." He placed the round wooden pieces in patterns.

"You know… We're both pretty bad losers…" I muttered in my palm. He had slender fingers.

"I'll be _polite_ if you will. Pay attention. This is the most important. The Chrysanthemum tile, uncle calls it the soul of the game so we have to protect it. It goes over here." Zuko started explaining the complex procedures of how to win the game, but I had to admit that my glance was more drawn to his concentrated face than the ancient pass time.


	2. The date

**The date**

It was midday. Stunning autumn was pressing on the season and tall oaks had already begun changing their colors outside our window. Zuko and I were just wrapping up a good swordplay lesson and I was feeling optimistic about my progress for once. Turned out I actually didn't know squared about weaponry and I was _too reckless_ when swinging a blade, of course I would never admit that to Zuko. I really wanted to get it down before my looming date of departure (which I was trying very hard not to think about).

Zuko was only wearing loose pants and the light picked up the hot dampness of his back.

I peered at him and then continued wiping my own face in a grin.

"You know… Something occurred to me." He rustled his long hair and wandered over to me.

"Mhm. And what's that." I asked, still staring a bit to hard on his very handsome body, from behind my fluffy towel.

"We've never been on a date together." He said casually.

"Oh. I guess your right." I blinked and thought about it. Well it's not like we'd had the time before now. On the ship we weren't together, in the palace we were dealing with disaster after disaster and then there was the whole captured in a volcano thing while discovering I was a reincarnated intergalactic space and time traveler. Huh. Busy busy.

"Can I ask you out then?" Zuko smiled when I dropped the towel, a little stumped by his question.

"Ehm… Sure?" I blinked some more. I'd never actually ' _been on a date'_. I thought the whole concept was a little set-up-y and formal, and not to mention, awkward. It always had to be 'dinner and a movie'! Or a romantic ice-skating session! Or some other activity like that, and it _really_ wasn't a part of my way of experiencing romance. But then again, I was horrible at romance in general!

"What... Ehm… What do you wanna do on our 'date'?" I air quoted the word 'date'. Zuko grinned at me and tugged a run-away stand behind my ear. He pecked my cheek.

"What do _you_ want to do?" He asked close to my ear.

"I… I honestly don't know." I cleared my throat.

"Why are you getting all weird?" He drew back in puzzlement.

"I just… I've never really… You know. Been on a date before… I think it's tacky." I winced.

Zuko looked taken aback for a moment.

"I can't believe you've never been asked out before." He stroked my chin with a thumb. "And we don't have to do the _tacky_ stuff then. We'll do something you like."

"… Do you mean that?" I had my hands loosely on his hips.

"Yeah. Of course."

"Then I want to see the royal city. Up close and personal." Walking around the city alone had been fine so far, but if I really had a say so, then taking Zuko with me would be a lot nicer.

"Sure! I'll get the guards to set it up."

"No no no. Like for once going out as a normal couple you know. No parade of people following us everywhere."

Zuko let go and took a step back.

"Well… I don't think you and I are the easiest people to walk around without getting spotted. Exhibit A." He pointed to his scar. "Exhibit B." He pointed to my hair. Being the firelord and the only blonde in the world he made a strong point, but we were also both skilled in the sacred art of _ninja-ing_.

"Aren't you up for a night in capes and sneaking around?" I wriggled my brows. "Or are you scared you've lost your touch?" I teased gently and threw my hair over my shoulder.

"Hmm… I'm may be getting rusty." He kissed me warmly. "But I'll never loose my touch." Zuko smirked as he pulled away and the amber irises caught the light.

I was braiding my hair and knotting it tightly at the back of my head so it wouldn't flutter about and give us away. My handmaiden Mika was helping me picking out an outfit, and was definitely more giddy about the whole thing than I was. I had allowed myself some giddiness though.

It was my first date. Ever. With the guy of my dreams. And we were doing something I loved! Eat your heart out 'dear diary'.

"You should wear a dress my lady! This one! And these underneath." She pulled out a long robe with golden butterflies and a pair of white thigh high stockings.

" _That_ is a 'I want to get in your pants' outfit. And I can't jump around in it. Next." I grinned at her in the mirror and fastened a pair of needles in my hairdo. Mika blushed and put the stockings back a bit hastily.

"What about this one? You like this one, no?" Mika opened a box of my white and gold kimono folded in thin tissue paper. It was my favorite one that was almost identical, apart from the color, to the one I'd worn on the ship. Iroh had given it to me at the beginning of the year.

"I do love it." I got up and unpacked the top layer. I stroked my fingertips over the delicate silk. "But I can't sneak in it… It's white." I smiled and sighed.

"Why do you have to _sneak around_ in the first place my lady?" Mika shook her head and put the lit back on.

"Do I have something in black?" I asked and started tying in my chest -that form of sports bra was something I'd never really gotten used to, but it was better than nothing. The broad gaze held everything where it should be, even though I didn't have that much to begin with.

"Too much if you ask me." Mika mumbled under her breath. "I take it you want pants then?"

"Like reading my mind Mika." I said as she threw a bundle of black clothes at me. Tight and dark and, I would say, quite sexy too.

I pulled on the outfit in a flash, grabbed the travel cape from the back of a chair and proceeded to crawl out the window.

"My lady!?" Mika yelped horrified.

"Oh stop." I waved my hand at her and let go of the windowsill. I plunged two stories and as I landed effortlessly on the balcony right below, I heard my dear handmaiden scream. Poor Mika. I was giving her gray hairs before her time, but it was her own fault for being so uptight. Mika stuck her head out the window above and I did a tiny head tilt at her before walking along.

The balcony was the one I knew a little too well. It was the entry to the grand chamber of the firelord, and because I didn't much care for being seen arriving there every night, I used 'the back door' so to speak. I could just have moved in, but Zuko hadn't suggested it and I liked having my own place in the daytime.

I peeked through the curtain to his chamber and saw Zuko swinging the dark cape over his shoulder. He caught a glimpse of me, and turned a little surprised.

"I was planning on picking you up?" He smiled. Zuko's face was calm and soft in the candlelight.

"I thought you said no tacky stuff." I smirked. "And I wanted to scare the life out of my handmaiden. She was pestering me about looking _nice_." I felt a little self-conscious and glanced away.

Now Zuko glided his eyes over me, and then back to my face.

"…You look very nice." He cleared his throat and a pinkish tint seeped over his cheeks. I had to laugh at that. For once he was the shy one and it made me less concerned about the night's events.

"Thanks. You do too…" He really did. I'd always liked him in sleek dark clothes. "So. What's our first stop?" I bit my lip in a grin.

Zuko took my hand and we wandered out to the balcony again. There we could see the entirety on the Royal City gleaming and glowing in the darkness below. He pointed at the main street, which was still pretty narrow, and filled with people celebrating life in one aspect or another. The best way down there would be rooftops and sneaking under the wall by the trees.

I nodded, threw on my own cape and pulled up the hood.

Swiftly and soundlessly we crept, leaped and lowered ourselves down to the grounds outside the palace. Zuko had spoken of being rusty, but it didn't show. He was as light and accurate on his feet as always. It was striking, but I caught him glancing a bit often my way too.

The people in the streets hadn't noticed us appear out of the shadows, and luckily our outfits weren't that out of place since there was a chill in the wind. I took a hold of Zuko's hand. It was almost strange to stroll so casually without being observed at all. No guards, no servants, no family or friends or even just speculators, resting their curious eye on our private time. I liked it. It made me feel free and I stroked his hand with my thumb.

"Hey. I want to show you something." He ducked down a shady ally and pulled me along. We jumped up a few stairs and tuned out on a quieter street. A few tiny bars and open food stands were selling their 'good times' and Zuko slowed down.

"I have never really explored the city much, to be honest. For some reason I always used the palanquin, and my early life was very much inside the walls of the palace, but I do know this one place." He said and lowered his voice as a group of young guys past us. I tugged at my hood.

As we went further down the street Zuko stopped to orientate himself. "Ah. There it is." He practically dragged me up a twisted cobblestone slope. I was glad I'd decided on wearing traditional firenation shoos because my gatas would have twisted on these stones a hundred times.

When I looked up from my feet, the first thing I noticed was the columns. One red gate after another made in a short sort of passage to the temple's huge black bells. The place was almost hidden in between the buildings and the greenery that was only just trimmed away to clear a path for the temple visitors. An old woman the size of a child carefully made her way down the temple path and she nodded politely as she bobbed by us.

"Come." Zuko lifted his brow and smiled. At the top the temple was even more intriguing. Ropes thicker than my arms were hanging by the dozen behind the bell, and white paper slips were tied around them. Some crisp and new and some old and torn, but all keeping a secret. Dragons and lions were carved intertwining with the sun on the four pillars that held the pointy roof. The temple had once been magnificent, now it was more of a forgotten relic with plants creeping up the rock statues and rain stripping off the paint. A heavy rosy smell drifted in the air and I figured that the old lady had just lit the smoking incense that stood in the stone dish.

"This is the Light Temple. It is build to worship the dawn and nothing else. Almost all of the old temples were burned down while the war raged, many on my father's orders. But this one managed to survive. I think it's because it represents something everybody can appreciate on some level." Zuko lightly touched a carved lion that had cracked.

"A new beginning." I said and let down my hood.

"Or a second chance." He looked troubled by the words. "To do the right thing."

I drifted over and stroked his arm.

"You should polish it up. Make the nation see that you're ready to take that opportunity." I said softly and then added a bit more dramatic to lighten the mood. "The dawning of a new era."

Zuko smirked at that.

"You're right. I have to show my people that this is a time of peace and reconcile. That belief and change isn't treacherous things." He tuned to me. "And we shouldn't fear the unknown, but embrace the new day with a bright mind."

I blinked. The words hung there in the old temple and he'd impressed me by them.

"… That's a good speech."

"Yeah. I just hope I can live up to it." He said unsurely.

"Hey. Of course you can. If anybody can do it you'll be the one. I've already seen the some of the future and you are going to be doing a heck of a job! You're the hero of this legend!" I enthusiastically punched my fist in the air. Zuko looked stunned for a moment and then he started laughing full on. I didn't quite understand what I'd said that was _this_ funny. He bend over and laughed until his shoulders shook, and it was somewhat contagious.

"I love you!" He said between the ripples of amusement.

I snickered. It was more of and ' _oh you're so silly and I love you_ ' kind of exclamation, but it warmed me up just the same.

"But, you are. And you're my hero too." I stroked his hair down in his face playfully. His yellow orbs peered at me from under the dark bangs.

"I really do, you know." Zuko breathed out the remains of a chuckle and tossed the bangs out of his eyes so that he could kiss me. I slid my arms around his neck.

"I _really_ do to." I mumbled in the kiss.

For a few fleeting and gorgeous moments we stood under the giant black wish bells and I would've been completely content if that was to be the rest of the night. As if Zuko read my mind he drew back and said.

"This entire evening wasn't just supposed to be us making out and me getting a pep-talk. We still have some sneaking around to do."

"Okay then. I wouldn't mind spending a few hours canoodling my cute boyfriend, but alright, let's do some _date-activities_ instead." I rolled my eyes in a smile.

"I promise we'll come back to that." Zuko sent me a small devious look.

We put our hoods up and then glided through the shadows.

I had never really had the feeling that there were this many people living in the Royal City, but tonight we seemed to be swimming an a packed stream of the masses down the main street. I was holding on to Zuko's arm and peering up at the warmly lit stands as we passed them. One was selling wooden firenation toys, another imported silks and another again, spices and freshly cut flowers in every imaginable color. It was normal for the stores to be open this late, because they usually had a few hours during the day where they'd closed, but it was a little curious to me that there were so many people out and about. A street-seller bellowed about handmade cedar tree boxes for a _low-low-price_ that was still way too much for a trivial trinket like that. Suddenly I spotted the place I'd been looking for. Right by the busy corner of the main street was an inexpressive-looking opening.

"In here." I said to Zuko and we ducked under the half-flaps of a traditional teeny tiny bar. There was only seating for five people at the bar and on one of the seats a lovely woman was hanging over the disk chatting with the bartender.

I could see why, because the bartender was a rugged sweet-looking man. He reminded me of a friendly lumberjack, just clean-shaven.

"Welcome travelers. Sit, have a rest." He bid us welcome, we did so and ordered two drinks. As the bartender, Jéin he had introduced himself as, went to get our order Zuko said.

"I don't know this place." He looked around a bit and I couldn't read him. Maybe this was a little too rough around the edges for the firelord? Yeah, he'd slept on straw madrasas and had water for breakfast, but that was a long time ago. The bar was quite dark with sparse lighting seeping from faded red lamps. And all over the walls, in a messy sort of way, there were paintings of places around the world.

"I came here with Iroh once." I shrugged.

The woman leaned over the disk and snickered as Jéin goofed around with the bottles. You could tell that she was very much in love with him from a mile away.

"Here?" Zuko asked a little disbelieving.

"It's nothing fancy, but Iroh said it was the best bar in the Royal City. And I just thought we should get away from all the hassle…" I stopped to rethink if maybe we should just leave.

"When were you out drinking with my uncle?" He smiled and I eased up a bit.

"Oh. Some time ago, we were out shopping and then we came in here for a break. It was a really nice, and a somewhat blurry afternoon." I scratched the back of my head in a grin. I'd had way too much to drink and Iroh was at least as pleasantly tipsy as me when we'd swayed our way back to the palace with grocery bags looping up and down our arms.

"Here you go gentle-folk, may it ease your souls." Jéin put down a tray with a small clay bottle and two cups.

"Thank you. Hey, do you know why there's all these people here tonight?" I asked casually.

"I sure do wondrous vixen, it's the past-summer fest tomorrow. There's going to be fireworks and people have been traveling from all over to get here. I thought you were holidaymakers too? I haven't seen you around before?" He eyed us both and Zuko looked away at an angle.

"Oh. We are! I just… Didn't know that _all these people_ were here for the same festival!" I lied.

"Mhm." Jéin straightened and looked like a man who knows when to keep his nose our of people's business. I exhaled as he stated to tend to the woman again.

"Wups. Listen, did you know about the festival?"

"Of course." Zuko poured our cups full.

"Then why did you ask me out tonight?" I was offered a cup, and sipped.

"You said no typical date stuff. I figured it would be too much if I brought you to a firework show?" He smiled slightly and took a drink too.

"Ah…" I sighed at the realization. He would have been right. "Sorry about being so difficult." I leaned in and puffed him with my shoulder gently.

"I like you difficult." He put a warm hand on my cheek. I glanced at the bartender who was making a lavish-looking drink for his other guest and she looked amusingly self-conscious as he winked at her. They didn't seem to notice us. I sipped at the lukewarm liquor with a blush rising in my face. As soon as I was putting the cup down Zuko stole a quick kiss.

"So much smooching." I whispered in a timid smile when he'd drawn back.

We had our heads low and close together. I'll admit it was pretty thrilling being able to just be a couple without the whole palace holding its breath for our next command.

"It amazing to me how you can be the most ruthless, courageous and powerful creature in the world and still you look _like that_ when I kiss you." He wasn't smug or even cheeky.

Zuko observed me silently and something in his glance gave away his thoughts.

I couldn't decide whether to answer him with something coy or truthful. Instead didn't say anything and looked away while the blush ran over me. I would hope that some of it could be blamed on the alcohol that burned ever so faintly on my tongue, but I was freefalling into desire. I unconsciously bit my lip a fraction.

"Don't do that." Zuko smirked and it was hazed by the same heat.

"You can't tell me what to do." I smirked just as subtly.

We filled our cups a second time, and then emptied the bottle after a third refill. The booze was getting pleasantly to me, and the atmosphere between Zuko and I was hotter than glowing coals. Both were making me even warmer and more lighthearted with every passing moment.

"Do you think it would have been the same if we'd gotten together earlier?" I murmured happily and rested my chin in my palm. Zuko considered that with a tap to his chin. I could see that the drinks were having an effect on him too.

"Yeah. I think we would have been here right now either way. But I regret wasting the time we could've had… Tell me something, that time where you walked in on me, was that really an accident?" He smiled crookedly and one of his corner teeth showed. I got my drink down the wrong pipe.

"Of course it was!" I almost squealed but then smacked a hand over my lips as Jéin and the woman stopped talking to see what had caused my outburst. I covered my face mortified.

"I- I- I would never-" I lowered my voice to a rushed whisper. "Walk in on you on purpose! I mean, you're hot, but do you think I'm some kind of pervert?!" I'd felt how the liquor was loosening up my inhibitions but not all of them.

Zuko chuckled cheekily with his tongue between his teeth.

"Forget it. I'm drunk." He said and waved his hand.

"Seriously, did you think that?!"

"You _were_ walking around in your underwear half the time we stayed on the ship, so I figured you were a little bit of a pervert." Zuko teased.

"AH! I only did that when I was going to bed! I was exhausted!" I flushed and slapped my cheeks.

"… I didn't mind." He rolled his eyes.

I breathed a deep sigh.

"If anyone's a perv it's you. You the one flaunting yourself about, and pulling your shirt off at every chance you get." I finished my drink, the blush lingered, and now it was Zuko's turn to look a little embarrassed.

"Eh. It's a tropical climate. I get warm?" He straightened in his defense.

"In the winter? Riiight." I grinned and struck my tongue out at him.

"Can we get out of here now?" He smiled and dropped a few coins on the disk.

"Yeah I need some air." I wafted at my red face.

Before long we were out of the bar and more time had past than I would have thought. The moon was high and the masses of people were dwindled to a much smaller crowd. The shops were closing up and a woman gathered her street theater from the side of the curb.

"Looks like we missed out of all the fun." Zuko said but he didn't mean it.

"Yeah…" I held on to him and leaned my head against his shoulder. "I don't wanna go back to the palace right now though." I muttered. The alcohol made me sway a little on my feet.

Zuko glanced down at me.

"Then I know just the place."

The walk was short and we took it slow. Lights were getting turned off in the windows and soon only a few houses had a lantern or two glowing. We exited the city through an iron-gated path and Zuko led me further out to a grassy field resting on the volcanic slopes.

A splendid view was overlooking the shadowy ocean.

Autumn had only touched its fingers to the south, but there was a distinctive crispness in the air. The grass went up to my knees and the only lights were stars, moon and ships floating far out in the horizon. I let my hood down and sighed at the shear beauty of it all.

Zuko unclasped his cape and lay it down in the meadow. I did the same and as we sat down I tugged mine over our knees. Quiet waves crashed on the shore deep down.

I stared at the view and started undoing my hair.

"I'm gonna miss it…" I murmured as I unraveled the braids. Zuko held a hand on my waist and made sure we were close.

"Ssh." He hushed at my thoughts.

I nodded quietly.

 _Not yet. Don't think about it yet. I'll have all the time in the world to be sad later._

I twisted around to Zuko.

"Can I sit on you?"

"Of course." He opened his arms and I snuck up in them and settled with my legs on either side of his lean body. The pale rays of moonlight made the grass around us glow and it cast a shadow over our faces. I leaned in and pecked his cheekbone.

"Sit still." I said close to his ear. "Put your hands here." I whispered and led Zuko's hands to my hips. I licked his ear the tiniest bit and saw the goose bumps crawl on his neck. I kissed it, then pulled at the collar and drew his skin in between my teeth.

"Kai…" He hissed when I sucked. The grip on my hips tightened, he moved me against him and I yanked at his dark hair. Zuko's moan tickled against my shoulder. I sat back and watched the hickey I'd given him. A small part of me wondered how long it would stay there, and thought it comical that he would have a hickey from a parallel world sitting on his neck.

"I like it when you say my name like that…" The words sounded a little breathless on my lips as I watched him looking slightly disheveled with the warped collar and the messy dark bangs covering some of his pink face. Zuko looked almost lewd. It made me lick my lips faintly. The fact that I was tipsy gave me a courage I hadn't necessarily felt before in this kind of situation.

I leaned in again and this time I kissed his lips. It was a deep and sort of damp kiss. Zuko grabbed the back of my neck with one hand while he let the other one mindlessly roam. His mouth tasted like liquor and something more that made my legs spread further apart. My uncontrollably urge for us to be undressed ignored the chill in the breeze. I undid his shirt buttons while Zuko slid my silky top off my shoulders. He didn't much mind the cold either.

"Oh." I said as I looked down at my tightly bound chest. The white gaze was covering the entire area and oddly enough I hadn't ever been undressed with _that_ in the way.

"… What?" Zuko murmured and started loosening the knot without taking any issue.

"… I just… Feel like a patient with gaze up to my ears." He glanced at me.

"Ah. Let me take care of you then. Lift your arms a little." Zuko said it so seductively that the power balance shifted in a split second. I lifted my arms hesitantly over my head and Zuko, with his secure fingers, leaned in closely and started unwrapping me. Rolling up the fabric as he did so.

The bound had restricted my bosom tightly and it was a liberating feeling when the gaze gave way.

"Have you done this a lot?" I asked with a curiosity that was asking something more.

"… It's not my first time." He caught my eye tentatively. Neither of us was playing modest virgins, especially since we'd been together, but we had never discussed our 'number' either. Not that _I_ had one per say. I knew was not the time for it, but the interest kept tugging at my mind's sleeve.

"What do you want to know?" Zuko sensed my intrigue as he unwound the fabric behind my back. When he spoke his mouth brushed the nock of my neck.

"Am I the best you've had?" I shivered. His fingertips had grazed the skin on my ribs.

Zuko stopped for a moment. Then finished the last bit. I was bare and I crossed my arms over my chest. There was no chance of anyone seeing us here, even if someone had decided to take a witch hour stroll to this particular off-road slope, the tall grass was an enclosure around us in the night. But I felt the need to cover up for the conversation's sake. Zuko lifted the abandoned cloak over my shoulders and snaked his hands under it. His light touch made my nipples hard.

"You are the only one that can make me forget my thoughts. You make me loose myself." He whispered alluringly to my cheek.

I gasped when he squeezed them.

"You're unmatched." Zuko kissed my lips greedily.

In the kiss I took a hold of his shoulders and moved in slow and gliding shifts over him. Our clothes obstructed the act but it felt exciting nevertheless. Zuko sighed quietly. Swiftly and strongly he'd curved us around so I was lying on my back. His hands and hot lips kissed and grabbed my breasts, and I closed my eyes while chasing my breath.

Zuko undid my pants and slid them down my legs. He sat back on his knees and watched me with those hungry amber eyes. I watched him just the same. Zuko's chest was bare and the pale scars caught the moonlight. He looked so powerful and it made my blood rush. I would guess it showed.

He smirked and blew a little orb of fire, then dove down to lick my inner thighs with a burning hot tongue. Teasing me mercilessly until he brushed my clit. I bit back a cry.

My body moved on its own when my hips lifted from the ground, as if they were being magnetically pulled to his wicked kiss.

I gasped in fulfilled desire when Zuko sank two fingers deep inside me. His fingers stirred rhythmically in me and my heart pounded in its tact. It was is if he was starting a fire in my body, stroking the same sport over and over until it became scolding hot. It was the most plausible form of torture. The alcohol made everything spin faster, and the sensation was pushing me over the edge.

"Ah… Please…" I muttered silently, not having to say anymore than that to express my plea.

"Not yet." Zuko rasped and flicked his wet tongue over me again.

"But I-" I trailed off in a sigh as I couldn't find the words anymore. The only word I could seem to think was ' _yes'_.

Me knees sought each other as the sensation pulled at my nerves, threatening to undo something fragile and trembling that was hidden within. Zuko seized a firm hold on one of my thighs and pushed it to the ground while he kept working me over. I held my face in my hands and moaned.

Words and sounds flowed jumbled from my lips, urging him to keep going. It only took a few more touches for me to fall over the threshold.

I took the deepest of breaths as the beating heat washed over me and reached all the way to my fingertips. It rolled and rolled like warm waves in my body even after Zuko was kissing his way back to my lips. I shivered when he licked my jaw.

He paused and I peeked out through my fingers.

Zuko grasped my wrists and held them over my head and rested the hardness between my legs. His yellow eyes dug into mine. He was waiting for me to ask for it. I bit my lip and looked away.

"… Don't torment me…" I moved my hips. He bent down to my ear.

"But you look so good when I do." Zuko murmured.

Without another word he took me. Rigid and ravenously and it made the world fade away.

"Uuugh…" I fell face first back into the bed. Zuko was sipping his morning tea and eyeing me. "I'm never drinking again." I muffled in the sheets. Even thought I'd taken a hot shower and washed down gallons of water this morning, I was feeling the hangover sitting like a stone on my head.

I weakly turned to look at him. Zuko was surprisingly unaffected and I blamed his incredible metabolism and the fact that he'd been drinking this sort of local moonshine since he was fourteen.

"Eat something." He smiled at me and offered a bowl of rice.

"No. I'll never eat ever again." I wined and curled to a ball. The sheets rustled and then he heaved me up besides him, like something you would do to a kid. Well, I was the one acting childish so…

He tugged me under the duvet and I was warm and loved in my misery.

"… It was fun." I slurred against his ribs.

"Very." Zuko agreed and picked up his tea again. "I can hardly remember how we got home. I know the sun was up." He laughed in a breath.

"Me nether… I would have guessed you dragged me half the way. I was sloshed man..." My head was throbbing and everything seemed to be ever so slightly whirling.

"That sound about right. I was drunk out of my wits too."

"You're cute when you're a little tipsy." I kissed his stomach. It twitched as if it tickled.

After a moment he said.

"I should go to work." Zuko scratched his head and yawned.

"And I should train with my swords, but that's not going to happen. So, stay in bed a few hours. Nurse your lovable girlfriend back to health." I tried to poke him again and he jerked. I had never known he was ticklish and I grinned with my tongue between my teeth.

"Hey, Kai. Cut it out." He smiled.

"If you promise you'll stay a few hours." I dove under the covers and poked him some more. Zuko laughed at tried to protect himself from my attacks. We fought under the covers. Finally he got a hold of me. Our heads we under the duvet and we panted happily.

"You're so annoying." Zuko kissed me and let me go. "You win."

I snickered very pleased with myself.

"You better get used to it because…" I trailed off. I was going to say 'because I'm not going anywhere' but that was untrue. The hangover and the world's troubles seeped back into my mood and broke a fragment of my heart. I emerged from the duvet and sat up. Zuko followed. The fact that I was leaving was so bittersweet I couldn't bear it.

"I'm not staying in bed with you of you're planning on being this depressed."

I frowned at him.

"I'm kidding. Kai come on." He kissed my cheek.

I closed my eyes and leaned my back against his firm warm body.

"I wish I could just not think… " I breathed. I hated how sadness kept tainting my last few days with him. I just wanted to enjoy it and be light-hearted, but the separation was coming up no matter how much I distracted my thoughts.

"… Do you want me to help you with that?" Zuko's hands drifted over my chest.

"Yeah…" I sighed and he kissed my neck.

The sun crept over the sapphire sky and for the first time we ended up spending the entire day in bed.


	3. One year after

**One year after**

I was sitting on the magnificent roof of the firenation palace overlooking the Royal City, and the coast. It was the highest construction in sight except the grand green volcano on Kohama Island. It was nighttime and it was one of the late summer's clears ones so far. I leaned back on the glassy black tile and watched for shooting stars - I hadn't ever seen one on this side of the door.

The guards patrolled the red walls, but it wasn't one of them I heard approaching from the balcony below. When Zuko poked his head over the brim of the roof I smiled at him.

"Why are you all the way up here?" He asked when he'd settled next to me. It had only been a year since my return and I still grieved that I'd missed out on some of his youth. But at least I was back, and there was nowhere else I'd rather be. His long hair blew in the wind and he was still such a handsome man.

"Just thinking under the stars." I shrugged.

"… What's wrong?" He stoked a hand down my back.

"The blues always gets me this time of year. Nothing's really _wrong_." I leaned on him.

"Mine is in the winter. I can't stand the cold." He muttered.

"I never knew. Is that why you never go with the Gaang to the poles?"

"I have to go once in a while. Diplomatic representation and that sort, but yeah, I hate it there. It reminds me of the banishment… And seal blubber is gross."

His frown made me snicker.

"Ah, however just to get out of here has to be a treat!" I stretched but froze as I caught his eye. "I mean… I love the palace, but it always feels a little restricting. You know?"

"It's my home. I fought very hard to reclaim it…" He looked down and I felt like I'd put my foot in my mouth. "I've never mourned my responsibility per say. Although sometimes I've wondered what I gave up coming back to my nation."

I pondered my response. If I hadn't been with him when Azula found the letter way back when we were in the Forgetful Valley, Zuko would've thought he wasn't the heir for a split second. I wasn't so sure he hadn't found it a little unfair to be the crowned firelord once in a while.

"You sacrificed your freedom for something greater. The people, the world, thanks you for it." I took his hand and gave it a small squeeze.

"We could have had a very different life together." Zuko looked thoughtful.

"Yep. It could have been different. We would perhaps even have traveled the world together, and not just once in a while. Maybe our life would be dangerous on the road, fighting with swords all day long and cutting down bandits." I shrugged. "But, this is our reality, and it would be shameful to whine about living here." I gestured the grand view.

"It sounded like you were whining about it a moment ago."

"No, not really… Just… Adjusting. Being treated like royalty is exhausting for a _commoner_ like me." I smiled crookedly up at him.

"Adjusting… Do you think about your previously life sometimes?"

A moment of stillness passed.

"It's almost like a dream to me…"

"Tell me about it?"

The questions stirred something. It was a feeling that I'd put in a very neat little mind-box.

"Don't you think that'll be a little hurtful?" I lifted my brow and observed the water.

"I can take it if you can. Were you married?" Zuko asked like it was nothing. Like asking to pass the salt or something. The mind-box threatened to crack open. This conversation had been a dreaded one of mine, and I had pushed down a lot of memories, forgotten life and love before to deal with my situation. Now Zuko was finally prying and I reluctantly lifted the lid.

"Yes." I didn't look up.

He cleared his throat. I thought it might have come as a surprise for him.

"Did you have kids?"

"No… By the time we married, I was too old for that kind of thing." The emotions thrashed in the box and I wanted to close them in again. I was trying not to look directly at them, not remembering anything specific. Not the smell of coffee in our little apartment, not the sound of jazz ebbing out of his study while he typed. I shook my head.

"Were you happy?"

"That's a tricky question. I was coping for a long time. But in the end… I found something to care for… You know… This is getting a little too… I don't wanna talk about it anymore." I felt guilty and slammed the lid shut.

"Kai…"

"It's too hard Zuko. Let it go." I drew my hand back.

"Because you loved him?" He asked in a neutral tone.

I looked frightened in Zuko's yellow warm eyes.

"I don't blame you for living a life like a normal person. I'm not angry with you or even jealous. You came back to _me_ and that is all I care about."

"But you didn't get to do the same." My mouth was dry.

"It was five yeas on my end, far less than sixty."

He had a point that I'd already considered multiple times going into another relationship. My choice had meant me being in an agonizing dilemma of loyalty versus non-depression. Was it worth it? I would say yes any day, though had been like walking on blades the first few years when love had come around.

"Leaving cut my hear open. I didn't think it was mendable for a long time. Now I'm finally 'home', and I'm still fumbling around with guilt. I feel like… There was never a right answer to begin with." Something stung in my eye.

"Maybe there wasn't." He embraces me and breathed in to my hair. My tenseness relaxed in his arms.

"I really want you to marry me." Zuko said while he held me to him. I drew my brows. I'd always been so against marriage here, because it meant saying yes to being 'the firelady', or queen of the firenation. That meant binding myself on hands and feet to etiquette and living a life in 'captivity'. I pushed him back without finding his gaze.

"You know… I'm not queen material. Just because I married once, doesn't mean my heart has changed when it comes to becoming a monarch."

"I want to have kids with you. I want to travel the world with you and I want to fight with swords all day long." He'd ignored my rejection. "Forget my job for a second. Do you want that too?"

"Yes but as I just-"

"Then let's." He smirked and shrugged. "It doesn't have to be by the book."

"A queen, still… That's… Too…" I fumbled with my words.

"You practically already are Kai. Everyone knows that there's just you."

"… Zuko…" I drew my knees to my chin but I couldn't hold back a smile.

"Okay. Compromise. We'll do all the other stuff first, and then perhaps, maybe when we're good and gray, we'll get married?" He sighed dramatically.

"I didn't know you could compromise? That's new." I breathed a laugh.

"I've recognized that I don't mind so much when it comes to you."

"I can perhaps, maybe, live with that." I snickered. "So you wanna have kids someday, huh?"

"Yes. I would think our children would be the most wonderful people."

"No doubt. But you do realize they would have our temper and probably be firebenders, right? I mean we'd better give them rooms far away from the sacred galleries."

"Then we should wait at least few years, the Golden hall is still under construction."

I laughed loudly at that.

"Do you want to?" Zuko asked tentatively. I knew that this was another part the 'adult conversations' we'd never had.

"Honestly?" I shook my head at the view. "Not now at least… I still have so much I want to see and try and _do_. With you." My eyes looked down, because I wasn't sure if he could understand. Children are a gift, and they are fun and lovely and wonderful and perfect, but… I just… Couldn't wrap my head around being 'mummy' just yet.

"That sounds like a plan." He watched the ocean contently too.

I ran my fingers through his loose hair.

"Hey, now that we're on the subject. Do you wanna know something?" I asked softly.

"Sure?" He shrugged gently.

"Katara is pregnant." I said in a grin and Zuko snapped his head to me.

"That's… Amazing!" His eyes were round.

"It's going to be a boy aaaand he'll be a non-bender, which will suck for a time, but then they'll realize that this kid is amazing anyway." I chuckled at the thought of baby Bumi. "But you can't tell them any of this. Spirit secret."

"Of course." Zuko smiled widely too, and I loved that.

"Come here so I can kiss you." I tugged lightly at the ends of his dark hair.

He leaned in and I met his sweet lips under the beautiful sky.


	4. Name day

**Name day**

"Aaaah amazing! Such a wonderful night! Look, look, I mean seriously take a look at those stars man, _that_ I mean _that,_ is like really why I like this place!" I rambled happily and spilled a little of my drink as I gestured the sky a little too eagerly.

"AGREED!" Exclaimed Sokka and swung a brotherly arm over my shoulder. "Fire wine you burn me again! OooohOOOHH fire wiiiine!" Sokka began singing and I laughed brashly.

"Good sir, beautiful, brava!" I clapped, spilling the rest of my wine.

"We should get some water in those two." Said Katara to Zuko in a tired expression up ahead. Zuko looked over to Aang who was hugging her around the waist. Aang grinned, then Zuko snickered and shrugged.

We were walking back from the ceremonial party along the outside walkway.

It had been a grand party, and ever since Zuko had made Norren the head of entertainment three years ago the parties had become drastically more interesting and fun, not to mention the crowds were a lot less stuffy now that the regime had completed its _extreme home makeover_.

"Wait, wait man." I patted Sokka on the back. "I- I have like a really good song!" I started singing a hit song from my other world and Sokka helped by doing mismatched horrible beat-boxing to the already dreadful melody. Aang and Zuko burst out in laughter.

"Well. I for one am going to bed." Katara said and held her huge baby bump. She was only a month away from setting Bumi into the world and she had all of the right to be a little pissy. Also she was of course sober and dealing with drunk people can be super annoying.

"You're right moon flower, lets get the two of you tugged in." Aang kissed his wife on the hair. "Goodnight firelord, happy 28th name day my friend." Aang said and put a hand on Zuko's shoulder.

"Goodnight Avatar, Katara. And remember just say the word and we can bring whatever you need." Zuko hugged Katara too and smiled at her.

"We should start a band!" Sokka cried when our drunken screaming had ended.

"YEAH! We should start a band!" I seconded and punched the air. "But like, don't be like, drunk, we should really-really do it you know." I grabbed his arms and looked extremely seriously. "Like, for real." I opened my eyes wide.

"How about you decide in the morning?" Katara said sourly. "Sokka go sleep it off."

"Hey! I'm the BIG-sister in this relationship! I'll give the orders to the bed! You go to bed!" Sokka slurred. "And then I'll go to bed." He did a long blink before collapsing on the path.

"Oh." I breathed and stared at him. Katara snorted and waddled off.

"Zuko could you give a hand?" Aang lifted Sokka by one arm and Zuko grinned and lifted the other. "Up-sa-daisy buddy." Aang sighed.

"Just go ahead Kai, I'll be there as soon as I've put the baby down for his nap." Zuko said over his shoulder in a smirk. I did a drunken wave and turned contently on my heel.

I stumbled over the threshold of our royal chamber and kicked the door closed on a pirouette. It slammed a little hard.

"Sorry guards!" I called and then murmured to myself while grabbing my arm. "Uh! I'm so strong!"

Getting out of my clothes was a dance of tripping and spinning and falling on to bed, eventually giving up on the pants and shoes. I thought about waking up my handmaiden, Mika, to help me dressing for bed but the sun was almost up and it seemed like a long walk to the servant bell across the chamber. I groaned and closed my eyes in the dark. The world kept rotating behind my eyes.

I heard the door.

"Do you need some help?" Zuko said lowly. I heard his boots hit the floor as he walked over to me.

"Nah." I breathed, but I felt him holding my heel and pulling off the pointy shoes. I helped a little, but it was weak. Zuko kissed my calf and stroked my foot.

"More." I said childishly when he stopped. I pushed my toes to his shoulder. "More kiss."

"It's my name day. Shouldn't you be the one who did the 'kissing'." He muttered on my knee as he pushed the legs of my pants up softly.

"But I'm sleepy." I mumbled. "If you want the kissing you have to come to my lips."

"Just sleep Kai. We'll do the kissing tomorrow." He stood and smiled down to me while he undid my knots. "Do you want to sleep in a dress?" Zuko slid off my clothes and I curled up in bed. I couldn't answer because the alcohol was assisting sleep, and combination worked doubly as efficient. I felt Zuko take a hold of my shoulders and under my knees and he tugged me under the covers.

The next morning was hard. And not just for me. I had flinched when I saw Sokka at the lunch table. We had both slept the entire morning and in to the late afternoon. The rest of the Gaang were out and about, properly being effective, and in a very sweet morning letter Zuko had said that I should just take the day off.

I flopped down on the floor cushion across from Sokka and eyed the food with suspicion.

"Which of these do you think won't make me throw up?" I rasped and hugged my ribs miserably.

"Don't say that word." Sokka spoke like a dying man and he looked like one too, lying with his head on the table with hollowed out eyes.

"Then let me ask you this, which of these things will cure me?" I poured myself a cup of cold tea and heated it in my hands. It was bitter and had been sitting out.

"Katara won't bend me better." Sokka heaved himself to a slumped sit. "But that would do the trick."

"Really?" I regained some of my will to live.

"Yeah. But she's super pregnant and a real bi-" A huge pile of snow landed on Sokka's head, seemingly from nowhere. I blinked my, still drunk, brain not processing what had happened.

"Don't you dare call me that in front of the baby!" Katara said in a strict huff before she walked over to the table and sat down besides me.

Sokka made a long and painful noise but he stayed under the layer of snow.

"Good morning, how are you feeling?" I smiled at Katara and rested my cheek weakly in me cheek.

"Well, I'm not sleeping, I have to pee five times at night, the baby has the hiccups and Aang promised me to fly me to the north today but instead he's out looking for dragons with your boyfriend!" She complained and grabbed four sticks of meat spires. She hungrily stuffed her face and I took another calm sip from my tea.

"Mhm. So you're having the baby in the north? Why not your village?"

"They have the best healers in the north, if anything goes wrong we like to be on the safe side. It's not ideal, but at least there will be some of my traditions there for his birthday." She gently stroked the bump. "Aang is so sure it's a airbender, and I… I can just _feel_ it isn't. Do you think I should tell him?" Katara took a bite of rice.

"I can't tell you what to do. He'll be disappointed no matter when you decide to talk about it. But just remind him that the baby is healthy and wonderful, and I can say he'll be a great person too." I offered my comfort.

"You're right." Katara poured some juice to me then herself. "Have you and Zuko talked about kids yet?" She was just making conversation but it was a sore topic.

"He's only 28." I took a sip of my tea, and felt the sneaking pain of headache.

"True. But isn't that kinda old for a firelord to be a dad?" She shrugged.

"… Um." It was. But I didn't want kiddies yet. And you can't say that to a pregnant lady. It's rude.

"Leave her alone Katara." Sokka lifted his head and the snow slid off him. "Kai is not really a natural mom like you. Not everyone dreams of a huge family."

I lifted my brow at that, debating whether or not to take offence. Nah. Too hung-over.

"You do?" She narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah, but that's because I was ten boys! My own army." He looked determined.

"If you want ten kids, then you'll need a girlfriend." Katara popped a berry in her mouth to dot her point. Suki and him had broken up a few years before, something about carrier differences, but I hadn't asked Sokka too much about it. It felt like it needed a time and a place.

"I _know_. I'm on the look out!" He struck his tongue out.

"Okay. This 'eating something project' isn't going to happen right now. I'm going back to bed like the sloth that I am." I sighed.

"Don't you want me to help instead?" Katara pulled the top off her flask and bended water in the air.

"No fair!" Sokka frowned.

"Eh. Okay…? Should you be bending?" I didn't know what to do with myself so I just finished my tea.

"Shush." Katara moved her hands gracefully and the water started to glow ever so slightly. She guided the liquid to my heart and it soaked through my skin. As soon as the cool water started spreading all my horribleness faded. Hydration rushed evenly over every cell in my sickly body and before long I was right at rain. She pulled back and set the crock in place in her hip flask.

"Woaw!" I sprung to my feet and stretched. Goodbye dizzy hell, hallo productive day! " _That_! That is a handy trick!" I smiled like a hundred suns.

Sokka sulked, pricked his fork in a piece of fruit and glared at Katara.

"Oh you're welcome." She beamed back at me.

"I'll go steal Zuko away from Aang so he won't have an excuse not to fly you to the north." I grabbed a few pastries from the table and almost skipped out of the hall.

Birds were tweeting, the sun was shining and I was running along the jade roof-spine of the palace. In a fast an effortless moves I climbed up a watchtower installment on the wall and scouted around the courtyard for my boys.

When I leaped off on the other side of the tower I spotted Aang's yellow clothes emerging from the dragon bone tomb with Zuko. I scooted down the sloping glazed tiles and stopped on the brim on the roof that overhung the patio.

"Hey listen, can I ask you anything?" Zuko said.

"Yeah, sure! My advice is always ready to support the firenation." Aang replied light-heartedly.

The guys were walking under and I was just about to drop down, when I heard them talking about me.

"Actually it's more of a private thing. It's about Kai."

I froze and held on to the tile.

"Oh, well, ask away?" Aang said a little more seriously.

"It was my name day yesterday, and all of us always make a big deal out of it and it occurred to me that I've never really done anything for her? I want to do something nice, but I'm blanking out."

"Does she have a birthday?"

"No not really… But it doesn't have to be a birthday thing."

"Then a date maybe? Katara loves when I take her out."

Zuko laughed a little. "No, date night isn't her thing either."

I pushed my lips a little bit. I wouldn't mind a date if it was done right. Like the last time. I smirked.

"Pew. Then what about just getting her something? A gift? Is there anything she really appreciates?"

There was a pause.

"… Yeah? Yeah! Now that you mention it I know just what to get her!" Zuko sounded so excided that I had to bite my lip in a grin. He was such a dork sometimes.

"Alright! Glad I could help!" Aang said jokingly. "Now about the dragon egg, have you tried bending fire on it?"

"Yes. I tried everything but nothing happens." Zuko sounded deep in thought.

"Are you sure it isn't, you know, hollow? I mean it is made of gold on the outside at le-" Aang didn't get to finish before I swung down from the roof and landed in the middle of the conversation.

"Your wife sends me. You have to take her to the north before that baby comes out of her." I smirked at their startled faces.

"Dammit Kai! You gave me a heart attack!" Zuko grasped at his robe where his heart was. I breathed a laugh. I have no idea why I just loved scaring the crap out of people like that.

Aang blinked.

"Hi Kai. You know, I've never seen you using the palace stairs." He muttered and then blinked again. "Katara sent you?"

"Yup. She's very pregnant and very moody and I think you should get her to the north, like, yesterday." I shrugged in a smile.

I didn't know if the rules for air-travel had a say when it came to Appa, but I did know that the baby could technically come any day now, and if Katara wanted to go, she should.

"Were you eavesdropping?" Zuko asked and narrowed his eyes.

"Nope mister firelord sir." I pecked him on the cheek.

"Riiiight." He eyed me speciously.

"Okay, it's officially still my day off and I'm gonna train my dual sword-ing! See ya'." I waved over my shoulder and ran toward the other side of the grounds to jump back on the roof.

It was a week after Aang and Katara had taken Appa north.

Sokka had stayed with us after the two had left, mostly because he wasn't fit for flying but also because he was helping me on the counsel. I was getting a lot of flag in general for being named 'head of the strategic war and uprising counsel' because I didn't have a fancy war-adjacent vocabulary, any practical experience in the field and because I was the firelord's girl. People felt that I had been favored, and so I worked about five times as hard to prove myself.

My job was to keep tabs of any trouble heading our way, and it was like keeping tabs on an insane herd of very vengeful and scheming sheep. Once I felt I had all our enemies in one spot and under control, one would start drifting away from the flock to speculate in overthrowing the throne or burning down the palace in a terrorist attack. It was real work and I needed real help. Sokka was a great guy to ask for advice when it came to _defense against the dark arts_ and he was also my only ally on the counsel.

Nighttime had snuck up on us.

I was drowning in a pile of arrest papers on 'The New Ozai Society' and Sokka was flipping through the criminal records when I heard a knock on my office door. I looked from behind the documents and it took my eyes a moment to focus on the shadow in the doorway.

"Evening." Zuko leaned on the frame and smiled at us.

"Is it evening?" I muttered and stacked a less than useful handful of papers.

"My eyes are melting. We're never gonna find that guy Kai." Sokka rubbed his eyes and dropped the criminal records on the floor with a heavy 'flop'.

"We will. He's in here. Just go to bed Sokka. Thanks." I pinched the brim of my nose.

Sokka dragged himself out of my office without another word.

"Who are you looking for?" Zuko asked intrigued and wandered over to me.

"Just this creepy bloodbender Yakone who's related to a future battle in Republic City. Some very strange deaths have surfaced in the Earth Kingdome. To me it's a open an' shut case, but unfortunately he's a ghost and I can't use the argument 'I'm an all-knowing oracle' on the stupid counsel." I leaned back in my chair and it creaked.

"Don't push yourself." Zuko stood behind me and combed my hair with his fingers.

My eyes looked up in his and he kissed me upside-down on the lips. I smiled in the soft kiss.

"Sorry I missed dinner." I muttered.

"It's fine. But… Do you have a minute now?" He drew back and Zuko's silken hair tickled my cheek.

"Rarely." I smirked a little exhausted.

"Just come on." He rolled his eyes.

"Exercise? Zuko, I don't know if I can do _anything_ right now." I yawned as he opened the tall double doors to the training hall. I'd expected it to be empty and uncluttered like always, but hundreds of candles burned in a blazing orange glow and in the middle there was a black reflective box on the floor. I glanced around and discovered that all the servants and guards had been dismissed. Zuko towed me along and I watched him questionably. If this was some kind of adult game I was on board but also a little apprehensive. He closed the doors and let me to the box.

"Eh… What's this?" I lifted a brow.

"It's just something I thought you would like." He sent me a devious look and it reminded me of a look he'd given me when we were much younger.

"And what's the occasion if I may ask?" I struck my tongue out between my teeth in a cheeky smile.

"None. I love you." He shrugged but the smugness never left him. "Open it."

I held his eyes a moment longer before kneeing down to the black wooden box. It was the length of my arm and narrow. I guessed at it to be something naughty and a little heat played in my face.

The polish was reflecting all the lights like a mirror. I popped the elegant lid off and saw the contents.

Two of the most beautiful swords I've ever seen lay gracefully on a black velvet bed. It was dual silver blades, straight and slim and the handles were black with pointy sharp ends going along the grip. It was enough to make any sword master cry. I smacked a hand over my mouth and glanced at Zuko over my shoulder. He just observed me with quiet interest.

It took a moment before I could bring myself to touch them.

My fingers trembled as I picked up one of the swords.

It was light as wind and balanced like an extension of my arm. I flipped it to the side and it was as thin as paper. All the fatigue from my frustrating day vanished like part of a magic trick.

As I looked on to the silver blade I saw my own black eyes and Zuko's yellow behind me.

I put it back, gently, like laying down a sleeping child. Zuko kneed beside me.

"Do you like them?" He asked a little unsurely because I was being so quiet. He didn't know that this was in fact the best gift I'd ever gotten in all my lives. He didn't know that these swords were not only more stunning than a million rainbows but they were a sentiment, a statement, that I was worthy of owning magnificent weapons, and that gesture in itself meant a great deal. I turned slightly.

"I don't know what to say…" My breath was a little uneven.

"They're made from blood-steel, that's what makes the blades a little darker. This pair was made on Yatakana Island. It was the last pair swords master Ryo Kenshi made twenty years ago." Zuko cleared his throat and tried to make it sound less like 'a big deal'. But it was a big deal. Kenshi's craftsmanship was exceptional and only a few elite fighters in the world had his steel strapped to their back.

"Thank you so much." I glanced up. Zuko was dumbfounded by my expression and a boyish pink blush washed over his grown face. I broken in a giant grin and threw myself on top of him and started kissing him everywhere.

"Ah! Uf! Aw my buckle!" Zuko laughed as I strangled him in a hug.

I sat up and turned to my gift again, now I couldn't stop smiling, for real. I started opening my clothes and shrugged them all off so I was only in my low pants and chest binding.

I sensed Zuko look at me, but instead for pouncing him I snatched the blades and got excitedly to my feet. In a moment I was dancing across the room with high leaps and slicing the air. Like wings they flew effortlessly in my movements, rebounding orange fragments of light in the midair like they were made of fire and not steel.

"Zuko! These, these are amazing!" I called to him in an acrobatic whirl that cut down my invisible enemies. I stopped to catch my breath. "I love them. I absolutely love them." I grinned down at my new best friends.

"That's good. Hey, do you wanna test them in a fight?" He slid off his robes and was bare like me, minus the binding. Soft shadow trailed his masculine torso and Zuko's black hair slid over his strong shoulder when he kicked off his boots.

Instead of answering I just smiled and rolled my weightless weapons in my hands. They felt very different to any other swords I'd held, but it was a good different. Like putting on the right glasses for the first time. They felt full of opportunity.

Zuko picked up his own from their honorary stand by the wall.

He walked up to me and took a relaxed stance. I raised my swords and I caught my eyes gleaming in the metal. Our blades touched apprehensively and Zuko narrowed his eyes in a smirk.

The night's silence and warmth from the hundred candles filled the hall.

A flame flickered.

In a flash our fight began.

White sparks sprung as the steel slithered off each other and the their twins met instead in a forceful blow. I spun out of the hold and went low. Zuko twisted over me and divided the air above. My smaller frame was an advantage to his tallness and I rolled between his stances. Promptly our blades met again as I got to my feet in a leap. I grinned. My footwork was more balanced than it had been only half a season ago and I could see it threw Zuko slightly.

He attacked again, picking up pace and using his more acrobatic talents. He was stronger than me, but I was always the more flexible one. The fight bore evidence if that.

'Cling' 'cling' 'cling' we danced and the four blades chimed a rapid song in to the night. As we deflected each other's swings I felt the steel vibrate in my hands. The heat was growing due to the fire together with our exercise, and I felt sweat starting to drip from my chin. Concentration and effort colored both our faces.

In a defensive maneuver I somersaulted back holding my blades out and landed lightly on my feet. My heart was raising and it pumped so hard I could feel the insisting pulse in my throat.

The most exhilarating thing was, that I could see Zuko felt the same. His damp and tussled hair showed that I, and my two new best buds, was giving him a run for his money.

I sprinted back into action, clashing Zuko's swords that he was holding like one with my right blade. Its left sibling sought his waist. Zuko dodged and spun behind me, a heel tripping my footwork. The fight had come to an end.

I felt his pant at my back and his icy swords under my chin.

"Yield?" He asked a little breathless.

"Never." I touched his skin with the blade I'd already aimed up in his ribcage. If it had been a real fight, my steel would have gone straight up in his heart before he could've taken my head.

"Oh." Zuko looked down and lowered his weapon.

I broke from my stance and gently put the weapons to rest in a sheath that lay in the box.

"You're a lot quicker now. You might even be better than me soon." Zuko put his dao swords away too. I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand.

"Not quite. But I'm pretty damn proud of myself." I wandered over to him and hugged his damp shoulders from behind.

"You should be. You worked hard." He said softly and finished wiping the blade before placing it in its golden stand. I stroked some of his hair back and kissed the salty skin.

"Why did you get me a gift? I didn't even get you anything for your name day?" I muttered. I had asked Iroh what to give to Zuko in his birthday, but Iroh said I was never tradition for the women to get the man presents. I was regretting being traditional.

"I never expected you to?" He turned and placed his warm hands on my hips. "I just wanted to find something that could bring you out of that gloom that's been hovering around you ever since you came back, and as you don't have a day where I can officially give you something I figured any day would do."

I looked at the ground. I had been gloomy despite my best efforts. Dying and living again had been more confusing than I'd hoped it to be. Endless amounts of guilt seemed to trail my steps wherever I went.

"I'm sorry… I don't mean to be so brooding all the time."

"Don't be sorry. I just wanted to make you smile." Zuko put a light knuckle under my chin and lifted my gaze to his. His sweet lips were in that crocked smirk that I loved.

"You're so kind." I whispered and kiss them delicately. "And really sexy when you fight." I said lowly and kiss him more insistently.

"You're the sexy one." He rasped and darted his tongue over my bottom lip.

" _Oh please_. I almost didn't want to fight you because I would cut that beautiful body of yours." I sighed in to his ear. Zuko grabbed my butt and lifted me with my thighs around him. The kiss grew more suggestive and so did his hands. I held on to his neck and yanked a handful of his hair. Zuko let out my name in a groan. I tightened my leg on his hips.

"I kinda want to be _nice_ to you now." My breasts pressed against him. "You're always so sweet and gentle it's hard to think you ever were mean to me. Although, when you have me alone all you do is _tease_ me." I smirked down at Zuko who had an interested hazy kind of expression on his face. I brought my legs back and slid off him.

"Maybe it's my turn to toy with you a little? To make _you_ long for me." I kissed down his neck. Zuko still held my butt and grabbed it.

"I already am, every time I have you in my arms I can't resist touching you. You are a piece of bliss to me." He bent down to me and bit my shoulder.

"Am I?" I panted and undid the gaze bound. "Would you beg for me to open my legs?"

"Yes." He kissed my breasts and pinched one of my nipples. I ran my fingers lovingly through his hair.

"Would you die if I said 'no'?"

"Yes." He whispered and held me closer to his mouth. I pushed him away and kneeled. I stroked his abs and they tightened. The orange fire around us burned and flickered but their glows seemed to lessen in our closeness. Zuko's thumb stroked over my lips and down my chin as I opened his pants.

"I've never heard you talk like that?" Zuko and I lay on the bamboo mat and I rolled on to my stomach. The mat was sticking to my naked skin. The dance we'd just completed was filled with wicked steps we'd taken before, but it was the harmless conversation he was shocked by?

I rested my chin in my palm and looked at him. He was still breathing a little unevenly. To be fair he'd done most of the heavy lifting, quite literally. I bit my lip.

"I'm an adult. I am allowed to talk dirty once in a while, no?"

"Of course." He laughed and flicked his eyes away and then back to mine. "I just never stop to be surprised by you." Zuko sat and took a ribbon between his teeth while he gathered the long dark hair in an untidy knot.

"Ah, you bring it out in me I suppose." Sitting up too I shrugged a little coyly.

He sent me a charmed, but not entirely convinced, look.

"Am I so changed from who I was before?" I drew my knees to my chin. It was a worrying thought that had stowed itself away on my mind-attack but now it seemed to be crawling down the stairs. I had considered I might not be the same Kai I was six years ago, but hey, who can say they haven't changed after that amount of time, not to mention after a whole lifetime. The question that really dug into me was weather or not Zuko thought it was all a little too strange. I mean, I sometimes felt pretty freaky.

"Yes. You're more open and not so bossy anymore." He said in a smirk.

"Ha-ha…" I rolled my eyes.

"Kai. I can see you're overthinking something. Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Mh-mh." I shook my head.

"Never mind what I said, you haven't changed a bit." He joked softly. "Listen. Whatever you're about to freak out over, you don't have to, okay?" Zuko laid a warm hand on my shoulder and I just sighed.

"… Okay." I let out a breath, some of the anxiety with it. "Okay. I'm good." I said a little stronger.

"Then let's go to bed. I think the sun comes up in a few hours." Zuko stood and pulled me to my feet.

"Ugh. Carry me?" I wined and hung on his arm.

"No way. After _that_ , I'm not lifting anything for a week." He felt his biceps in a frown.

I blushed and snickered.


End file.
